Auckland Council has slashed its power, water and gas bills, saving ratepayers $5.3 million over the last year says Mayor Phil Goff.

“Council has saved $5.3 million dollars in the last year through better management of utilities and a determination to bring down costs,” Phil Goff said.

The savings were revealed this morning in a progress report to Councillors on the Appointments, Performance Review and Value for Money (APR) Committee, chaired by the Mayor.

Phil Goff said, “Council has a duty to spend every dollar of ratepayer’s money wisely. We are cutting costs by working smarter and being more efficient.

“In April I announced we are saving $2 million per annum on ICT by insourcing roles and reducing consultants, and savings on our utilities is yet another example of our relentless drive for value.”

“Our multi-million-dollar utility savings have been achieved by leveraging the Council Group’s size to drive down procurement costs and consolidate suppliers, improving our accounting and monitoring systems, and conservation to reduce our water and electricity usage.

“We are investing at record levels in infrastructure and services to keep pace with growth, so every dollar we save on operational expenditure is another dollar we can put towards transport, housing and the environment,” Phil Goff said.

The $5.3m annual savings follow the Mayor’s call for additional annual savings of $23 million in his Annual Budget proposal passed by Councillors last month.

Councillor Desley Simpson said, “Aucklanders expect their elected representatives to push Council staff to deliver value for money in all areas.

“Achieving savings of $5.3 million per annum on our utility bill alone demonstrates to Aucklanders that we are working hard in yet another area to deliver on that.”

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